The Case for Plant Proteins in Southern Africa…lentils

H. A. Pswarayi

University of Nottingham

Problem: Sick Food Systems

  • Deficient in protein, micro-nutrients:
    • MAPS project, and Geonutrition studies.
  • Low crop productivity
    • acidic soils, and poor soil fertility.
  • Government policies
    • promoting tobacco and staple maize,
    • leading to increased rural poverty,
    • due to lack of profitable alternatives.
  • Climate change
    • Southern Africa particularly vulnerable,
    • to increased drought frequencies.

A Strategic Solution…lentils

  • lentils, most efficient for supplying the deficient nutrients
    • because cheapest to grow and buy (MAPS simulation)
  • lentils are a strategic:
    • because of multiple attributes
    • that can cure the sickness of the food systems

Lentils improve human health…

  • They are nutritious:
    • rich in protein,
    • rich in complex carbohydrates,
    • rich in minerals: K, Mg, Fe, Se, folate, Ca, P, Zn
    • richest in fiber, good for digestion, insulin regulation

Lentils improve soil health

  • lentils encourage good soil husbandry
  • by encouraging farmers to ameliorate soil acidity,
    • because lentils are very sensitive to acidic soils

Acidic Soils (pH 3.6)…severe stunting

Acidic Soils (pH 3.6)…susceptible to drought

Lentils are water efficient…

  • lentil crops require minimal rainfall
    • about 300 - 500 mm, annually
    • compared to maize that require about double
  • hence, lentils adapt better to shortening of rainfall seasons by climate change

Lentils reduce domestic energy consumption…

  • Because they cook in 10-30 minutes,
    • which saves energy,
    • and reduces deforestation,
  • Firewood, a primary source of domestic energy in southern Africa
    • due to low generation capacity of electricity
    • and a large, and poor rural population

Lentils improve animal health…

  • Because lentil stover is:
    • more palatable,
    • higher in digestibility,
    • nutrients: protein, Ca, and P,
    • and is better than cereal stover.

Lentils and gender…

  • lentils require minimum inputs
    • ideal for poor female headed households
  • lentils are less complicated grow
    • therefore, ideal for illiterate women/widowed households
  • lentils cook quickly
    • therefore less firewood collection
    • which affords women rest time
    • and time with children

Lentils and intercropping…

  • lentils can be inter cropped with cereals
    • raising land productivity
    • especially for small land holdings
  • lentil inter crops benefit cereals
    • because lentils fix nitrogen
    • which will be utilized by the cereals

Lentils, a profitable cash crop…

  • Lentils have a multi-billion pound (£) international market
    • major consumers in south Asia (e.g., India)
    • where lentils are integral to daily diets
  • Canada, the largest producer, and exporter
    • mainly by large-scale prairie farmers
  • India, the second largest producer
    • mainly by small-holder farmers

Project status…inception

  • Collaborative agreements with 4 countries in place
    • after co-designing projects together
  • 3 pilot trials planted in Malawi
    • to identify breeding materials, suitable environments,
    • to learn lentil agronomy
  • A seed multiplication trial to be planted this week
    • advanced breeding lines from ICARDA
    • to be tested next summer on on-station sites :::

Trials…570 ICARDA Accessions

Trials…crop emergence

Trials…happy lentils

Trials…happy lentils

Trials…we have seed!

Stakeholder Engagement…workshops

  • Nutrition workshop with LUANAR, Malawi
    • putting nutrition at the front
  • Malawi Stakeholders workshop, February, 2024:
    • promoting research and promotion, and their policies
    • with government and academic scientists:
    • plant breeders, soil scientists, agronomists
    • trade officials, nutritionists

With Stakeholders…planning

Stakholders’ Workshop…very first!

The Stakholders…the team

The Future…

  • Immediate: evaluate, multiply lines, agronomy,
  • Medium: innovate, promote lentil dishes, crops, evaluate, agronomy
  • Long term: promote culture of rotations and lentil diets,
  • sociology studies: barriers to change,
  • economic studies: lentils and farmers’ economy,
  • soil studies: lentils and soil fertility,
  • nutrition studies: lentils and population health.

A Long journey…of a thousand partners, publications

  • Zikomo kwambili, Terima kasih
  • Siyabonga, Asante
  • Mazviita, Grazie, Obrigado
  • Twatotela, Tak, Xiexie
  • Thank you, Dhanyavaad
  • Gracias, Danke, Спасибо
  • Diolch, Merci, Arigato.